Tracking our tags

Published: Thursday, February 20, 2014 at 08:00 AM.

Even though Washington still is grappling with the public backlash over revelations about its data-mining activities with Americans’ phone records, the federal government apparently has not been deterred from exploring new ways to collect information and monitor citizens.

The Washington Post reported Tuesday that the Department of Homeland Security is seeking a private contractor to set up a nationwide license-plate scanning system that would give the agency access to records from tag readers across the country. Many local law enforcement agencies already use cameras mounted on police cars, bridges or road signs to read license plates so they can be cross-checked with criminal databases.

That’s creepy enough, but it at least is limited in scale to the state and local levels, although they increasingly share the information with each other. The DHS, though, wants to set up a vast federal database of all those plate numbers.

Hey, what could go wrong? It’s not like federal officials have ever abused information to spy on political enemies or punish opponents. The FBI and IRS, just to name two, would never compromise their mission, ideals or standards to stoop so low.

The federal plate database ostensibly would be run by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE), which suggests that the primary goal is tracking people who are suspected of being here illegally. However, the solicitation for the contract also says that the vendor will compile license-late records “from a variety of sources nationwide, including access control systems, asset recovery specialists, and law enforcement agencies.” So it won’t be strictly border control. The government would be drawing on plate data from everywhere, which could make it useful in many functions.

A spokesman for ICE tried to reassure the public by telling the Post that the database “would be run by a commercial enterprise, and the data would be collected and stored by the commercial enterprise, not the government,” and that the data “could only be accessed in conjunction with ongoing criminal investigations or to locate wanted individuals.”

Nevertheless, anytime you have a vast, centralized database on people’s communications, commercial transactions, medical history or travel there will be the potential for “mission creep” fueled by the temptation to access it for means other than originally intended. It’s one thing to check it because you are trying to match a plate with a criminal suspect. But the opportunity exists to use it to keep tabs on certain people for non-criminal reasons, or to identify trends of innocent citizens.

Even though Washington still is grappling with the public backlash over revelations about its data-mining activities with Americans’ phone records, the federal government apparently has not been deterred from exploring new ways to collect information and monitor citizens.

The Washington Post reported Tuesday that the Department of Homeland Security is seeking a private contractor to set up a nationwide license-plate scanning system that would give the agency access to records from tag readers across the country. Many local law enforcement agencies already use cameras mounted on police cars, bridges or road signs to read license plates so they can be cross-checked with criminal databases.

That’s creepy enough, but it at least is limited in scale to the state and local levels, although they increasingly share the information with each other. The DHS, though, wants to set up a vast federal database of all those plate numbers.

Hey, what could go wrong? It’s not like federal officials have ever abused information to spy on political enemies or punish opponents. The FBI and IRS, just to name two, would never compromise their mission, ideals or standards to stoop so low.

The federal plate database ostensibly would be run by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE), which suggests that the primary goal is tracking people who are suspected of being here illegally. However, the solicitation for the contract also says that the vendor will compile license-late records “from a variety of sources nationwide, including access control systems, asset recovery specialists, and law enforcement agencies.” So it won’t be strictly border control. The government would be drawing on plate data from everywhere, which could make it useful in many functions.

A spokesman for ICE tried to reassure the public by telling the Post that the database “would be run by a commercial enterprise, and the data would be collected and stored by the commercial enterprise, not the government,” and that the data “could only be accessed in conjunction with ongoing criminal investigations or to locate wanted individuals.”

Nevertheless, anytime you have a vast, centralized database on people’s communications, commercial transactions, medical history or travel there will be the potential for “mission creep” fueled by the temptation to access it for means other than originally intended. It’s one thing to check it because you are trying to match a plate with a criminal suspect. But the opportunity exists to use it to keep tabs on certain people for non-criminal reasons, or to identify trends of innocent citizens.

It’s bad enough that many businesses accumulate such information, although there are ways to limit one’s exposure. It’s worse when the federal government, with its vast powers, seeks to keep a close eye on its people. Abuses can have more far-reaching consequences.

DHS should answer some basic questions: How long would this data be stored? What is required to access it? How many other government agencies will have access to it?

Driving on a public road is not a private act; eyeballs can spot your vehicle. Still, it’s disconcerting to have the government collecting data on our travels.